Omer Devotional Day 44

May 13 at sundown - Day 44
Today is day 44 of counting the Omer 
Today is day 44 out of Egypt
Today is day 44 of Messiah Resurrected

Models of Intimacy and Devotion (Ephesians 5:21-33)

Orderly Relationships: Marriage
21 Also submit yourselves to one another out of reverence for Messiah—
22 wives to your own husbands as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is head of the wife, as Messiah also is head of His community—Himself the Savior of the body.
24 But as Messiah’s community is submitted to Messiah, so also the wives to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives just as Messiah also loved His community and gave Himself up for her
26 to make her holy, having cleansed her by immersion in the word.
27 Messiah did this so that He might present to Himself His glorious community—not having stain or wrinkle or any such thing, but in order that she might be holy and blameless.
28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it—just as Messiah also does His community,
30 because we are members of His body.
31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
32 This mystery is great—but I am talking about Messiah and His community.
33 In any case, let each of you love his own wife as himself, and let the wife respect her husband.

Reflect:

Our culture has tried to redefine the relevance and meaning of marriage for quite some time. Today our culture has adopted same-sex marriages, open marriages, or has declared marriage as an outdated institution that was created “to control people.” None of this is true! God instituted marriage between a man and a woman because it reflects the kind of union He wants to have with us! He wants us to experience intimacy and devotion with Him that nurtures our souls and leads us to a deep, lasting, satisfying love that sustains us. Our marriages are to be this way also, reflecting a sacred unity and deep love that is unique to only our spouses. God wants to be at the center of our individual lives and at the center of our marriages. When He is, the selfless love of Yeshua becomes what marriages are based on and how they grow and flourish!

Prayer: Lord, help us to understand all You want our marriages to be; models of the love, intimacy, and care that You desire to have with us. Strengthen each marriage at Restoration and help them to thrive! Amen!

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At Restoration, we have made it a priority to seek God first in prayer. During this season of counting of the Omer, we have decided to do this collectively as a congregation in the days leading up to Shavuot. Together, we want to trust in His power to impact our lives, our congregation, our city, and our world. The last 10 days we will encourage a corporate time of fasting and prayer, which starts the evening of May 9 and ends the evening of May 19. The conclusion of this season of prayer will culminate in a congregational picnic on the 50th day, the day of Shavuot - Sunday, May 20 at noon.